Defying All Odds
by lookintomyeyebrows
Summary: Omegas were prized for their fertility. Alphas, for their brains and brawn. With no special traits, Betas were truly the group on the lowest rung of society. In Belschmidt University, the two meet. Over time, the Beta named Arthur falls in love with a high-born Alpha, Alfred. However, the odds are stacked against him, as Alphas and Betas are not meant to be together. w/Franada
1. 1: Prologue

**Prologue**

In the year 2088, one of the biggest scandals in worldwide history came to light. Multiple countries across the globe had collaborated on the almost unthinkable. It was revealed that government scientists in each of the participating nations had been working together to conduct a large-scale genetic experiment. It was a genetic experiment on humans.

In 2045, the human birth rate was at an all-time low. Combined with a severe outbreak of H21N9 in 2046, the human population was beginning to dwindle dangerously low. Panicking, the World's leaders came to a hushed consensus. They agreed to begin an experiment to save the human race. They began the notorious "Experiment X21".

The premise of Experiment X21 was simple. Splice in foreign genes, from highly fertile animal species, into the human genome. The individuals borne from this experiment, a.k.a. "hounds", that were deemed to have traits that would aid in the human birth rate, would then be slowly introduced into society. The characteristics the scientists were looking for were relatively subtle. Males with higher stamina and libido; and females that would go into heat every so often, much like a female dog would. Nothing noticeable externally, like having ears or tails, or so they thought.

The first round of experimental subjects was a huge success. The initial group of hounds, brought up in normal foster families, were raised to have values like monogamy deeply engrained. After all, having a group of virile young prostitutes was not the aim of the game. Upon reaching maturity, each test subject managed to find a human partner, whom with they continuously mated and had offspring with.

In 1979, the sweet success in the first round of experiments was the green light for a second round of genetically-modified humans to be created. The number of hounds in this second batch was increased ten-fold from the initial test group. Large facilities were constructed to house and care for these individuals, who seemed to be the saviors of the human race. Hounds seemed to be able to seamlessly assimilate into society without a hitch. Governments were pleased, as scientists speculated that the human population would soon make a full recovery. With more people needing to spend money, economies around the world would also experience a much-needed boost.

However, there was something that everyone failed to account for in their desperation to ensure the continuation of the human race. Sure. Hounds looked completely human on the outside. Except for their increased sexual desire, or a period of plain horniness for the females (which could easily be chalked up to hormones), hounds also seemed to act completely like normal human beings. However, the year 2088 rolled around. The offspring of the first hound-human couples were beginning to reach sexual maturity, and the first case of a male going into heat exploded out to the media.

It was one thing to have a female become overly-aroused occasionally. It was a completely different matter to have a male suddenly become so achingly randy, that natural lubricant is just short of pouring out of his ass. As more and more men around the world became afflicted with this "mysterious condition", people started to ask questions. With tenacious media dogs looking deeper and deeper into the issue, it was only a matter of time till the true story came to light.

Needless to say, the whole world was enraged.

But, it's funny how things work sometimes. Just as trials were being held in courts, to decide the fates of these "man-made abominations", another new virus appeared; One that would truly ravage the human race.

Human delibidovirus (or HDLV), related to human herpesvirus, was a silent killer. HDLV was highly contagious, and easily transmissible through mere respiratory droplets. However, it did not kill in a way that anybody expected it to. In fact, world-wide, there had been no reported deaths from HDLV. Instead, HDLV patients had absolutely zero libido. HDLV seemed to render any sex-related hormones inactive. Even with artificial insemination, all infected females, without any of their usual ovulation cycle-regulating hormones, had their wombs shut-down by the virus. Their once-working baby ovens quickly became an inhospitable place for any young human to mature in. With the human birthrate literally at zero, everything ground to a halt as the human race realized that it was truly about to go extinct.

Amazingly, hounds and many of their offspring were immune to HDLV. It was a mere coincidence that in their experiments, the scientists had swapped out the part of the human genome that was necessary for HDLV infection. All too soon, a century had passed, and the last of the humans died out, leaving only the hounds they created behind.

As the centuries passed, the world rapidly morphed into a different planet. Hound ancestors, disliking the idea of being thought of as different in the past, had taken on the name of "Humans". After generations of procreation, three distinct groups of these new humans began to emerge. The Alphas consisted of the physically strongest and smartest individuals. The Omega classification was reserved for the select few who would go into heat every three months, like clockwork. During this time, Omegas would simultaneously release pheromones that would send their partners into baby-making mode as well. And as for the Beta group, well, they were a mishmash of everyone else, although Betas were generally thought of as subservient little worker bees.

It was not as if only Omegas could produce offspring, or go into heat. Alphas and Betas could go into a heat that rivaled any Omegas', but this was a rare event, and only ever happened to people who experienced a high emotional connection to a partner. It wasn't long before people recognized the privilege of having an Omega as a mate. Having two partners in heat greatly increased the chances of fertilization. With an assured four heats a year, having an Omega partner meant never having to worry about bearing a sufficient number of offspring, even in a loveless arranged marriage. But even a loveless marriage with an Omega was nothing to worry about. The pheromones from any Omega could turn any Alpha or Beta into a snivelling, begging puppy. It was only a matter of time before an Omega's partner would be totally and hopelessly in love.

As the world changed further still, more and more Omegas married into positions of powers, mating with Alphas that were soon wound round their mate's little finger. Of course, Alphas were still highly desirable. Who did not like the idea of a strong and smart mate? Capable Alphas were the movers and shakers of the world, after all. However, it was truly the Omegas that held the most power; marrying Alphas that would all-too-soon be under their thumbs.

And as for the Betas, they were the true group on the lowest rung of society; the least attractive individuals. With no special traits to lure in a potential Alpha or Omega mate, Betas often bred within their own class.

It was a well-known fact. If a Beta were ever stupid enough to irrevocably fall for an Alpha or Omega, chances were that they would be forever confined to low odds of ever finding true love.


	2. 2: New beginnings and new acquaintances

**New beginnings and new acquaintances**

It was a clear, sunny day in Englishside; perfect weather for all the farmers' crops to photosynthesize and grow, while gulping up large amounts of irrigated water. Today was going to be a good day. Today was the day that Arthur Kirkland, heir to the five hundred acres that was Kirkland Potatoes, would travel to town, and begin his student life at Beilschmidt University.

Growing up in the countryside, with two parents who believed in freedom of choice and speech, Arthur had been raised without being confined to his social class of Beta. Although predefined as a Beta, through the aptitude test he took at the age of 5, and the lack of a regular heat cycle at the age of 14, Arthur was much unlike any regular Beta.

Of course he had been taught all that was expected of a young Beta male, with all the social guidelines he had to follow engrained in his long-term memory. However, his parents supported his pursual of various classically Alpha-oriented activities, such as sports, public-speaking, and debate. The result of this was a son who often spoke his mind; completely different from the regular Beta drones that always made sure not to step outside their social boundaries.

Although she had been allowing her son such freedoms in childhood, Arthur's Omega mother was worried for her son. The big city of Centraltown, where Beilschmidt University was situated, was nothing as forgiving as Englishside. The higher population density of Centraltown meant that it was easier for a loud-spoken, stubborn Beta to get into trouble. She cautioned Arthur about knowing when to hold his tongue, before tearfully sending him on his way. It would at least be a few months before she'd ever see him again.

The train ride to Centraltown was long, but the tram to Arthur's new king-of-the-hill school was even longer. After a small sample of the bustle of big city life, at the Centraltown train station, Arthur began to appreciate the pleasant familiarity of being lost among nature. The tram that Arthur was riding on was headed for the University campus, which was in the far interior of the forest canopy. The dull ache in his bum grew increasingly intense from the long commute, after having to sit for hours on continuous train and tram rides. When the tram finally pulled up to the school entrance gate, Arthur could not wait to hop out, and stretch his tired body.

The school campus was one of the most majestic buildings he had ever seen. To Arthur, it looked reminiscent of one of the castles he had seen in his childhood picture books. The towering white walls, enclosing a belt of luscious green gardens within, seemed to beckon the newly-arriving students towards the big black metal gates in the center.

As Arthur trod through the imposing steel gates, gawking at the grandeur of his surroundings, he came across a sign that led him to the front of the small two-story Beta dorm. Upon entering the building, he went up to the front desk to sign in, and to collect his keys. When Arthur finally climbed the stairs, and walked up to room 220, he heard a loud bang vibrate through the thin room door. Quickly fumbling for his keys, Arthur managed to wrangle open the door. He found a young blonde male, with shoulder-length hair, bowled over a large teak case that he appeared to have dropped.

The young Beta blushed in embarrassment, as he looked up towards Arthur, arms still outstretched in an attempt to pick up the fallen wooded case.

"Oui! You must be my new roommate, Arthur! I'm Francis Bonnefoy, mon ami." Francis slid in front of Arthur, took his hand, and gave it a quick peck. Francis flashed Arthur a smile so wide, it would put crocodiles to shame.

Arthur quickly recoiled his hand. Being the country boy that he was, Arthur was not used to the idea of skinship. "Yes, hello. My name is Arthur Kirkland. Pleased to meet you too my good man." Arthur reached out to shake Francis's hand instead.

Arthur could smell a heavy scent of roses emanating from the Frenchman's very being. As Francis turned back around to gather up his fallen case, checking to ensure that its contents of glass bottles were unbroken, something clicked in Arthur's mind. "Are you perchance a perfumer of some sort?"

"Why, oui mon ami. I am the heir to Bonnefoy Perfumes. We're currently the top perfumers in Centraltown, if I do say so myself." Francis said with a curt bow. "Feel free to come to me for all your perfume needs."

"Sure, I guess. Thanks for the offer." Arthur replied. Although he enjoyed pleasant smells, he wasn't really too interested in perfume-making. Arthur just couldn't see himself ever needing to approach this flamboyantly-dressed man for such a nonsensical thing. "So. I guess this is my side then?" Arthur asked, gesturing towards his right from the door. "Oui." Francis replied cheerfully. After setting down his things, Arthur proceeded to make smalltalk with the flashy Frenchman for the rest of the evening. After unpacking their respective luggage bags, the strange pair of new friends had a quick dinner, before turning in for the night. Getting sufficient sleep would be essential for their survival in the courses that they had scheduled the very next day.

When daybreak hit, Francis and Arthur were awoken by the loud chorus of chirping outside their window.

"Bollocks. Since when did birds get so loud?" Arthur grumbled, as he slowly sat up in his bed. Arthur would never have imagined that a simple thing like a window ledge could have such annoying disadvantages. He sure felt lucky that he had grown up without one.

Francis laughed, while rubbing the back of his neck. "Oui. I had not expected to be awoken so abruptly."

After slowly getting dressed, all grumpy from that rude awakening, Arthur decided to mosey on over to the main school building, without Francis. Francis's classes would only start an hour later, and he could afford to squeeze in another short nap before heading out.

Arthur slowly made his way over to the school cafeteria, looking to grab a quick bite before class started. As Arthur basked in the warmth of the sun, he took in his bright surroundings with half-lidded eyes. Suddenly, the sky went dark as he slammed right into a wall of warm, hard flesh.

"Ohmygosh! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" A flustered voice exclaimed. Two firm hands swiftly gripped onto Arthur's shoulders, stopping him from rebounding onto the hard concrete floor.

"Bloody hell! Watch where you're going!" Arthur retorted in his shocked and confused state. He looked up to see a tall, dirty blond male; sporting a pair of half frame glasses, and a brown bomber jacket.

Judging from the strong smell that this individual was giving off, Arthur could tell that he was definitely an Alpha. This shocking realization sent a little tremor of fear through Arthur's body. It was almost unthinkable for a weak little Beta to stand up to a big and strong Alpha. However, the stubborn vein in Arthur allowed him to steel his senses, and hold up to the man's strong gaze.

"Um. Like I said before, I'm sorry. How 'bout I buy you a burger, and we'll call it even?" Arthur started feeling a little remorseful, upon hearing the stranger's apology. He was half the reason that the collision actually happened in the first place.

Arthur sighed. "It's okay. I was spacing out as well. Let's just leave it at that." He shrugged the two leather-gloved hands off his shoulders, did a little sidestep past the stranger, and continued on his way. He didn't really want to make such a big fuss out of nothing at all.

Immediately, he heard the loud thudding of heavy boots, as the Alpha grabbed onto his shoulder from behind. "Please wait! Let me grab you that burger. I'll feel really bad otherwise."

Arthur couldn't for the life of him understand why this stranger was being so persistent about getting him a burger. But if that's what it would take to get the dirty blond off his back, he guessed he could handle that. "Fine." Arthur was resigned to his fate.

"Awesome! I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. Second year business student. What's your name?" The glasses-wearing senior inquired, his voice peppered with a suspicious dose of glee.

"Arthur. Arthur Kirkland. I'm a first year accounting major." Arthur massaged the spot in between his characteristic caterpillar-like eyebrows. Alfred seemed like an alright kind of guy, but Arthur just knew he was going to be a handful.

By the time Alfred and Arthur had reached the cafeteria, which was still rather empty, Arthur felt as if he had practically heard Alfred's whole life story. From Alfred's adoption from the orphanage, and his reunion with his blood-related brother; to what kind of pranks he pulled on professors in his first year of university, Alfred covered almost everything. Some parts were actually pretty fascinating. For example, how coincidental was it that Alfred, and his Omega brother Matthew, had had a chance to grow up together? The two brothers, who were a single year apart in age, had been brought to the orphanage as babies, after their parents had died in a car crash. When Matthew was 5, and Alfred was 6, they were adopted out by two separate families. Alfred had been adopted by a rich and famous banker, while Matthew had been adopted by a middle-class florist. Although the two adopting households were financially vastly different, the two heads happened to be very close friends. This gave Alfred and Matthew the chance to continue growing up as brothers, which resulted in them being so close, even to this day.

Of course, all the interesting little tidbits were embedded within fantastical tales of Alfred being ridiculous. For example, when Alfred was small, he hid a frog in the shoe of a boy that he did not like. Horrified by the slimy green lump he found in his footwear, the boy had ended up flinging the shoe right on top of Alfred's head. Alfred pouted, recalling the smelly shoe on his face, while Arthur had to hold back a loud snort. Alfred was being such a dope.

"Hehe. You're laughing, aren't you?" Damn. Alfred was just a cheeky little bastard after all.

"No I'm not." Arthur turned away, embarrassed that he was getting swept along in Alfred's pace.

While Arthur found a cozy table to sit at, Alfred went up to the cafeteria counter to order them some grub. In the blink of an eye, Alfred was surrounded by a growing horde of Omegas, who were obviously trying to flirt with him. Arthur could almost see a literal sweat drop form on the Alpha's forehead, as he tried to politely refuse the various breakfast invitations. With a loud sigh, Arthur got up from his seat.

' _I guess, this should make up for the burger, huh?_ ' The Alpha, who was tightly clutching his paper bag full of food, suddenly felt a hard yank on his hand. Alfred soon found himself jogging behind Arthur, who was sprinting aimlessly.

As the Beta in front of him started panting loudly, completely out of breath, Alfred pulled him to a stop. "You don't even know where you're going, do you? Come. I'll show you my secret hideout." Alfred offered. Arthur scowled at the insinuating remark, but nodded, as it only was the truth.

After climbing up the seemingly countless flights of stairs, Arthur was red in the face, and gasping for air. He silently rejoiced when they finally stopped at the entrance to the rooftop. Alfred swiftly whipped out a set of keys from his pocket. Arthur could only ogle at the breath-taking view, as Alfred slowly pushed the grey aluminium door open.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Alfred led the way to the quiet corner he usually sat at. The pair of boys sat down to have their burger breakfast.

"Thanks for the treat." Arthur gratefully received the burger that Alfred handed over to him.

"No need to thank me! It's all part of my apology. I hope you like it though. It's my favorite, the super hero burger!" Alfred winked, and waited to hear what Arthur thought about it.

"Well, it certainly is huge." Arthur carefully unwrapped the hefty-sized burger, and revealed a fully-loaded monstrosity. With bacon, ham, sausage, hashed browns, onion rings, and much much more, finishing this burger was going to be a real challenge. Arthur cautiously took a bite out of his food.

"Wow. It actually tastes pretty good!" Arthur was shocked. Although burgers were not part of the usual breakfast fare in his house, Arthur was thinking that he could get used to this.

"Yes! I told you, right?" Alfred grinned from ear to ear, before starting on his own meal.

As the boys finished off their burgers, they began chatting once more.

"By the way, does that always happen to you?" Arthur asked suddenly. The quizzical expression on Alfred's face was the signal for Arthur to elaborate. "With all those Omegas, I mean."

"Oh, right! That!" Upon understanding what Arthur was talking about, Alfred finally responded using words. With the floodgates now open, Alfred began pouring out his relationship troubles to Arthur.

Apparently, Alfred was one of those kids who had been brought up believing in monogamy, and that fornication was a big no-no. Of course, not all families worked like that. In fact, in this day and age, an Alpha having two or three mates was the norm. And with most Omegas looking to marry into a rich family, the number of available Alphas became less and less. Alfred could not remember when it started, but one day, everyone started throwing themselves at him.

"It sure sounds like you're bragging to me..." Arthur had a very unimpressed look on his face.

"I'm not! I swear! It's my dream to find my one true love. We'll date, get married, and spend the rest of our lives together." Alfred started to get a dreamy faraway look in his eyes.

"Hah! What a kid!" Arthur may have said those words out loud, but the slight blush on his cheeks gave away the fact that he had very similar views on relationships.

"Oh, come on. Don't you wish to find your true love too?" Alfred suddenly leaned closer to Arthur, and started sniffing at his nape. "You sure don't smell like you have a mate."

Arthur gave Alfred an almighty shove. "Yeah! Okay! I wouldn't mind finding someone! But haven't you ever heard of respecting someone's personal space?" Arthur's face was beet-red at this point.

"Owie~ You're pretty strong for a Beta, huh?" Alfred sat up again, rubbing his shoulder that had been shoved. "But this is awesome! Everyone I know either already has a mate, or just wants to throw themselves at me!" Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes at Alfred's very non-subtle boasting. "We could totally be relationship buddies and all!"

'What on Earth is a relationship buddy?'Arthur thought, as he struggled to comprehend what Alfred might be suggesting.

"I'd really rather no-" Arthur began, eyebrow twitching in exasperation. But Alfred began putting on a large-eyed puppy dog face. Arthur sighed. "Why don't we just start out as normal friends first?"

After having their hamburger breakfast on the roof, Alfred and Arthur finally parted ways, to attend their various classes. The first class Arthur had was Math. Wanting to absorb as much as possible, Arthur chose to sit near the front of the lecture hall. The people who chose to sit at the back were probably slackers, and would only serve as a distraction to him. After finding an empty seat with a good view of the blackboard, Arthur found himself seated next to an obviously mated Omega, who sported a rather impressive-looking curl in his chestnut-brown hair. After deciding that it would be okay to talk to this harmless-looking individual, Arthur decided to strike up a conversation. Who cared if he was an Omega anyway? Arthur, like most other people, felt the urgent need to form his friendships fast. He needed to do so before all the various cliques were formed, leaving him alone in the loner squad.

As it turned out, the chestnut-haired Omega was pretty easy to talk to. His name was Feliciano Vargas, and he was also a first year accounting major. Feliciano had started out as the son of an impoverished baker; his family constantly struggling to make ends meet. However, when Feliciano started high school, he met the love of his life. His husband-to-be was a sweet German boy, who ended up saving Feliciano's whole family from poverty. As he listened to Feliciano gush over his mate of two years, Arthur felt a pleasantly warm feeling well up inside his heart.

A mere five minutes before it was time for class to start, a light-haired unmated Omega, entered the lecture hall. Arthur thought that the Omega bore an uncanny resemblance to Alfred, and the cogs of his mind started turning. As the Alfred lookalike sat down next to Feliciano, Arthur was completely unsurprised when the newcomer was introduced as Matthew Williams, son of a middle-class florist. Arthur had already been given an amazingly detailed introduction to Matthew by Alfred himself.

After class was over, the trio took a walk down to a nearby cafe together. As the new friends sipped on their various caffeinated beverages, Arthur proceeded to share his experience on meeting Alfred with the two Omega boys, which sent the boys into fits of giggles. Waiting for their next period to start, the three boys swapped their different experiences with each other, slowly emptying their drink mugs.

As the day went on, Arthur found himself to be having a real blast at the University. He could tell. Matthew and Feliciano were certainly going to be his two best friends in the whole school.


	3. 3: In fantasy stories, there will

**In fantasy stories, there will always be a hero**

 *****WARNING:** This chapter contains an almost-rape scene. If you are uncomfortable with such things, please turn back.

Arthur truly regretted ever agreeing to let his friends, Feliciano and Matthew, come over to the Beta dorm to fetch him.

Just a few days earlier, the new trio of best friends had agreed to go for an on-campus nighttime flower-viewing event together. On the appointed day, Arthur had finished with his classes much later than usual. Not wanting to impose on his friends, and make them wait even longer, Arthur had agreed to their suggestion of going over to pick him up from his dorm room.

Arthur initially had had no qualms whatsoever about inviting two Omegas over to the Beta dorm.

Since Betas usually mated within their own class, it was generally accepted for Betas to hang around with other Alphas and Omegas, but only up to a certain extent. While it was permissible for Betas to meet up with friends from other classes occasionally, it was highly frowned upon if a more intimate relationship was started. The rules were stricter for Alpha acquaintances, as it was considered a waste for an Alpha's seed to be made unavailable, and be foolishly spent on a Beta with low fecundity. But the guidelines were far more lax for Beta and Omega relationships. Sure, it was a waste for an Omega to mate with a Beta; however, the fertile Omega would be able to ensure sufficient production of offspring, and therefore the couple would still be productive in that sense.

Nevertheless, Betas were considered to be "safe", as they were supposed to be the most undesirable class, and most of them were self-aware and mindful of their social status. Most, except for a Beta named Francis Bonnefoy.

With the level of touchy-feely-ness Arthur's roommate Francis displayed, at times, even Arthur would suspect that Francis had a crush on him. However, Arthur couldn't have been any more wrong. He soon learned never to underestimate the passion of a Frenchman ever again. When Arthur requested for Francis to help him get the door, knowing that Matthew and Feliciano were the ones who were knocking at the boys' room entrance at 6 pm, it was the beginning of the end.

As Arthur struggled to get his black turtleneck shirt on, he heard the door creak open. With his head still searching for the neck hole in his blasted garment, Arthur listened on as Matthew greeted Francis in a soft voice. "U-um. Hi. We're Arthur's friends. Would you happen to know if he's ready to leave yet?".

The room went silent. Confused, and with his shirt finally on, Arthur turned around to smack his impolite roommate in the head, when a foreign scent hit his sensitive nose. ' _Wait just a goddamn minute. Is the_ _bloody Frenchman actually aroused right now?_ '

Arthur had spun around just in time to see a lone Feliciano standing at the entrance to the dorm room, frozen like a statue. In the corridor behind him, Francis had Matthew pinned, back against the wall, and looking as if he were a scared little bunny rabbit that had been found by a big bad wolf, who was about to gobble him up. Francis moved to cup Matthew's face in his hands.

"Mon amour, I have been searching for you ever since the day we first met in the library." To any observer, it looked as if Francis's attack was completely one-sided sexual harassment. However, the slight blush and whine that Matthew produced indicated otherwise.

Francis proceeded to close in on Matthew's neck, and deeply inhaled his scent. "Ah. The sweet smell of honey and lavender… You smell positively delectable, mon petit chou."

With that last "compliment" from Francis, Arthur finally snapped out of his daze. He quickly regathered his wits about him. Arthur could not allow the Frenchman to attack his friend any further. With a swift smack, Francis was sent flying, while Matthew was dragged out the Beta dorm, along with Feliciano.

Of course, you can never underestimate the tenacity of a Frenchman either. As the trio headed off to their flower-viewing event, Francis insisted on following them closely.

When the four men reached the garden that had been closed off since the beginning of school, they found scores of young students filling up the walkways. Along each path, numerous stalls selling various trinkets lined the road, beckoning to visitors walking along the network of concrete rivers.

"Let's start with the red spider lilies over there!" Matthew pointed excitedly at a display of crimson flowers sitting under a luscious Japanese maple tree.

" _Lycoris radiata_ is usually associated with death, and is only ever used in funerals." Arthur shivered upon hearing Matthew's little fun-fact.

"But they are so gorgeous!" Matthew squatted in front of the mini field of red flowers, drinking in the beauty with his eyes.

"Ah~. But they are also extremely poisonous, mon chéri." Bending forward, Francis rested his chin onto Matthew's shoulder from behind, and gently began to caress Matthew's right cheek.

Arthur sighed in irritation, as Matthew quickly took on the hue of a sun-ripened tomato. Arthur followed up Francis's display of inappropriateness with an obligatory smack to the Frenchman's face.

Needless to say, Francis was not happy with the limit being put on his flirting. But in the presence of the stern chaperone that was Arthur Kirkland, with thick eyebrows knotted into a strong "V" shape, Francis hastily retreated into a corner of his own. At the very least, he knew how to pick his battles.

"Psst! We need to ditch Francis somehow! At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Matthew gets swallowed up by that idiot." Arthur whispered urgently to Feliciano.

"Vee~" Feliciano agreed enthusiastically.

"Hey, hey! Arthur! Now's our chance!" Feliciano nodded towards Francis, who currently had his nose stuck in an herb stand by the side of the road. Feliciano and Arthur turned to each other, grabbed hold of Matthew, and took the chance to run.

It was difficult for three people to navigate the big crowds, especially while holding hands. But not wanting to get separated, the friends held on to each other tightly. It wasn't long before the three of them ran right into a small group of three Alphas.

"Hey! Watch it, punks!" The largest Alpha confronted the trio.

"Oh fudge. Sorry guys." Arthur bowed in apology. He was expecting this to just end with a curt, "Be more careful next time!" But what he heard next sent tremors of fear throughout his body.

"Hey. It's an unmated Omega."

The blood started to drain from Arthur's face. ' _Bloody hell._ ' Maybe staying with Francis would have been the best idea after all.

Arthur protectively stuck an arm out in front of Matthew. "This Omega has already been promised to another. Please just excuse us, and we'll be on our way."

"But he's still unbound, no? And an unbound Omega is always fair game." One of the Alphas took a step forward.

Trying to make himself more intimidating, Arthur stood tall and puffed out his chest. "Then you'll have to get through me first!" Arthur motioned for Feliciano and Matthew to make a run for it, which they promptly did.

The Alphas lunged forward, wanting to pursue the escaping Omegas. However, Arthur used his whole body to block their path.

"Oh, I see. This little Beta bitch is trying to step outside his class boundaries, and act all heroic and shit, huh?" The biggest Alpha kicked Arthur down onto the dirt. There was no way a lowly Beta had the strength to stand up to a powerful Alpha. Arthur glared in retaliation.

"Fuck! You think you can get away with being a defiant little whore? I guess we really need to teach you a lesson. Do you know what happens to stupid little Betas who don't know their place?" The largest Alpha was smirking in a highly suspicious manner.

Arthur had a really bad feeling about this. The more stubborn half of him was wishing that he'd been born an Alpha. With the strength of an Alpha, he was sure he could smack these numbskulls into oblivion. The more subservient side of Arthur was just wishing that he hadn't gotten his friends to run away without him. If it were an Omega being attacked, someone else would eventually intervene. Omegas were highly prized after all, and this could be an Alpha's chance to impress the Omega with his strength. But no one would stop to help a Beta in this situation. Any other normal Beta would never dream of standing up to a group of Alphas. Plus, other Alphas and Omegas wouldn't give two hoots about some scrawny little Beta, who was in no way good potential mate material. It would just not be advantageous for them to get into a brawl, as it would only be a waste of their time and energy.

Arthur was pretty sure he was going to be beaten up beyond recognition at this point. He had to make a run for it soon. Arthur spotted a small break in the blindly passing crowd, and with a quick assessment, decided that he would easily be able to squeeze through. Spinning around swiftly, Arthur reared up his legs in preparation for sprinting through the crowd; however, his feet never got a chance to hit the pavement.

Arthur soon found that he was being held up in the air by the scruff of his shirt. The Alphas started dragging him over to a dark corner, away from the crowd; where the trees shaded out any light emitted by the nearby streetlamps.

"Blimey! You can afford to be gentler, you know?" Arthur was unceremoniously thrown down at the base of a large tree.

"And you don't have to specially go over to some dark corner just to beat me up. No one would come and help me anyway." Arthur spat.

Things were looking hopeless for Arthur. He was going to get beat bad for sure. Like Arthur, Feliciano and Matthew did not seem to know many people around this new school. It would probably be pretty long before they managed to get any help.

Francis was also probably still stuck at the herb shop. Plus, being a Beta, he may not feel an inclination to help out his roommate.

Thinking further, Arthur realized that he actually did know of an Alpha. He knew Alfred. And he was actually quite confident that a guy like Alfred could take down the three that stood before him. Arthur could tell by comparing the scent in his memory with the weaker Alpha scent of the three buffoons standing before him. But even though Arthur had been meeting up with Alfred every morning since the day they met, mostly due to Alfred's persistence, Arthur had never seen Alfred around at night. Arthur's only glimmer of hope soon faded out of sight.

Arthur soon realized that he could only depend on himself.

"Fine. I'll take you guys on." Even though he knew it pretty hopeless, Arthur lifted his hands up in an offensive stance. He was still sitting, leaning against the large tree trunk, but Arthur was pretty sure he could roll and evade the first blow.

"Oh ho! This little Beta thinks we're going to let him go with a simple little beating now, does he? Nuh-uh. Not after all that trouble you caused us."

Arthur held his breath. ' _What could these Alphas possibly have planned?_ '

When Arthur felt his world spin around, and someone copped a feel of his ass, Arthur's blood ran cold. He cursed inwardly. Why hadn't he been more aware of his situation? Betas generally had a very low fertility rate, and were not worth very much at all. Even if someone were to rape a Beta, nobody would really care. It was not as if they were Alphas or Omegas, who actually had important roles in society.

Arthur tried twisting and kicking his way to freedom, but he soon found his arms and legs pinned to the ground by the two smaller Alphas. The larger Alpha swiftly pried off Arthur's brown cotton pants along with Arthur's white briefs, and revealed a surprisingly round and supple ass.

"Hmm. Look at what we have here." Arthur shuddered in repulsion as the Alpha roughly grabbed one of Arthur's butt cheeks, all the while sniffing and licking at the base of Arthur's ear.

Arthur had never imagined that he would be caught in such a situation. No amount of textbook studying could have prepared him for this.

" _It's my dream to find my one true love. And we'll date, get married, and spend the rest of our lives together."_ Why was he recalling Alfred's stupid words at a time like this?

" _Don't you wish to find your true love too?_ " Tears started leaking forth from Arthur's eyes. Now, he was never going to be able to find his true love. He was not born into a class where it was okay to have a loose bottom, and have many spouses. No. He was just a lowly Beta. And nobody liked the idea of used goods.

Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the wandering hand on his ass to do its worst. But the advancement never came. Instead, the hand suddenly disappeared, along with the hands around his arms and legs. Arthur could hear that a fight had broken out behind him.

Arthur recognized the all-too-familiar scent that had appeared. He turned around to see a fiery-eyed Alfred punching the large Alpha's face into the dirt below. Arthur quickly pulled up his pants.

Looking up again, Arthur could see that the two smaller Alphas were now sneaking up behind Alfred. Arthur rushed forward to stop them when two blond men suddenly ran out from behind a dark tree.

The tall blond Alpha with gelled-back hair easily sent one of the sneak attackers flying. However, the smaller blond Francis, with his noodle-like golden locks, ended up being the one that got tossed off his target.

Arthur could not help but sigh. In the end, Francis was just a typical, weak Beta. However, when Francis rolled off the ground, he had a big grin plastered all over his face. Suddenly, the Alpha that Francis had attacked started screaming wildly, and ran off into the dark forest. Everyone else stopped what they were doing, and looked at Francis. Francis just chuckled, as he lifted up a small glass vial. "Jus de skunk, anyone?" Everyone but the two unconscious Alphas lying on the ground went into a fit of laughter.

"I'm fine! They didn't do anything, really!" Arthur struggled in protest, as Alfred dragged Arthur towards the infirmary, all their concerned friends in tow. Although the rape attempt had Arthur completely shaken, once the trio of blondes had shown up to save him, Arthur felt strangely calm and comforted.

"How can you even say that? They were about to force you! I mean, he was freaking groping your butt!" Alfred plopped Arthur down onto an empty bed, the veins in his eyes becoming even more red.

Arthur sighed. "Seriously, I don't even have a single scratch on me. I wasn't hurt at all. See? Nothing." Arthur rolled up his sleeves, exposing his pale and physically unharmed arms.

Alfred narrowed his eyes. "Well, as long as you really are okay, kay?" He pet Arthur on the head.

"Alright! How 'bout I go fetch you a warm drink! Hot milk? It might be a little late for English tea." Alfred winked, teasingly sticking out a pinky finger, pretending to drink a cup of tea.

"And with the amount of milk you put in yours, the two won't be that different at all."

Arthur flung his pillow in Alfred's direction, as Alfred slid out the infirmary door with a wide grin.

Turning back to his friends, Arthur thanked both Francis and the other blond Alpha for saving him. On the way to the infirmary, the blond Alpha had been introduced as Feliciano's German husband, Ludwig Belschmidt; younger brother of the school's president, Gilbert Belschmidt. With the way the pair interacted, Arthur could tell that they were a genuinely close and loving couple. He couldn't help but feel kind of envious.

Matthew and Feliciano, who had been the ones to fetch the trio of heroes, were fussing over Arthur from both sides of the bed.

"Do you want to hug my Kumajirou?" Matthew offered his white bear up to Arthur. Arthur, not having a thing for hugging other peoples' plushies, refused politely.

"How about some bread? Or pasta?" Feliciano gushed. Not in the mood to eat either, Arthur declined his kind offer as well.

"Anyway, we should make sure that you really did not get scratched somewhere else!", Matthew announced triumphantly. He was pretty sure that this was an important, basic first aid thing.

"Fine, fine." Arthur gave in. With all that had happened that evening, Arthur didn't really have the strength to argue any longer.

Suddenly, as Matthew and Feliciano reached out for Arthur's shoulders, to peel back his clothes and check that his skin was truly unharmed, Arthur shrank back.

Arthur had no ideas as to what had come over him. One moment he seemed just fine. Then, before he knew what was happening, he had become a trembling little ball of fear. Everyone in the room could smell the panic rolling off his body in thick waves.

 _Slosh slosh slosh_. The infirmary door slammed open. Alfred, on his way back with the warmed milk, had suddenly gotten a whiff of Arthur's unexpected anxiety. He ran up to the shaking male, put down the hot milk, and started cooing.

"There, there. It's okay Arthur. Everything will be okay." Alfred rubbed large, warm circles into Arthur's shaking back.

"Oh Arthur, it's okay to cry. Everything will be alright now. I'll be here to protect you." The tension in Arthur's body was finally starting to let up as the smaller boy started sobbing into Alfred's warm, inviting chest.

"I'll always be here to protect you."


End file.
